Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has written books on a variety of topics, particularly politics and faith.

Recently, the preacher, politician, author, TV show host and proud grandfather wrote a book intended as a guide his grandchildren. “Dear Chandler, Dear Scarlett: A Grandfather's Thoughts on Faith, Family and The Things That Matter Most” was released on Nov. 12 and Huckabee said his children told him it is his best yet.

He will sign copies of the book Sunday at Best of Books in Edmond. Huckabee also will be guest speaker at the 8:30 and 10 a.m. worship services at Victory Church, 4300 N MacArthur.

In a recent telephone interview, Huckabee shared insights about his latest release:

Q: Why did you write this particular book at this particular time?

A: I think as I got to thinking about having grandchildren, the fact that when I look at them, I realize that when they're really old enough for me to tell them things that they'll understand, I may be too old to tell them. So I think we forget that the most important thing we can leave for the generations that follow us is not some antique furniture and it's not a piece of a 401(k) plan. Those are nice things and they can be an important part of what we leave behind, but leaving something of ourselves, the more intangible things, have the sentimental connection.

In this case, I want to encourage people to tell their stories so their kids and grandkids will know who their ancestors were, so they'll know who they are. The fact is, most of us haven't thought about that because we're so busy when we're parents getting them raised and when we're grandparents, spoiling them rotten.

Q: You talk about marriage, coping with tragedy, love. How did you come up with these topics?

A: I sat down and I said what are the big things in life? Not the little things, but the big things. I just took a legal pad and I started writing and I had a page full. I started to condense them down to a more manageable number for book that would be easy to read. I didn't want this to be something that would require weeks of reading.

Q: Was there a topic that you felt you must include in the book?

A: For me, the topic of faith was very important because we're living in a society that's increasingly secular. Even though my children are raising our grandkids in a Christian discipline and they're very committed Christian parents and I'm grateful for that more than I can begin to say, that aside, there's no guarantee that somewhere down the line that might not always be the case. I don't want to somehow have my descendants not understand what their spiritual roots are, not just their biological roots.

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by Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Carla Hinton, an Oklahoma City native, joined The Oklahoman in 1986 as a National Society of Newspaper Editors minority intern. She began reporting full-time for The Oklahoman two years later and has served as a beat writer covering a wide...